Mitsubishi 1080p DLP 3D TVs, 73" $1170, 82" $1850, 92" $2000 @Dell

wolff said:
Time to do some more shopping then. Any good cheap stands for this size of tv?
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Ikea time for a cheapo stand. I saw a thread somewhere about a guy with a 65" dlp that got two of the cheapest stands they had and used double sided tape to stick them together to get the height right. End result looked ok.

It was either on here or slickdeals, I'll look but probably not worth the effort.

Update: Couldn't find the original link but pretty sure it was 2 of these : http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40105340/#/20105341
Just didn't put the legs on the "top" portion and the guy used double stick foam tape and pushed it flat. I remember because I was also looking for a cheap solution, and 2 of those "Lack TV units"is 80 bucks, but frequently on sale for cheaper.

For whatever that is worth...

Update 2 : wait, I think I found it : http://a.slickdeals.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=501667&d=1300141369
That was back when they were on sale for $20 or so and the guy used 2 of them
 
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wolff said:
Time to do some more shopping then. Any good cheap stands for this size of tv?
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I custom made my tv stand because too many of the offerings didn't have a single slot in the center for a speaker... most of them were split with a post down the middle (wtf?).

In my case, the one I have is just the right width for my TV and my speakers on either side... now I measured it and it is also the exact size for the 82" set.... so now it's even more tempting....
 
Zangmonkey said:
I custom made my tv stand because too many of the offerings didn't have a single slot in the center for a speaker... most of them were split with a post down the middle (wtf?).
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Probably for added strength in the middle, given the cheap-ass wood they use for pre-fab furniture anymore.
 
It probably has more to do with them not having a freaking clue because they make furniture and have no clue about electronics. If you look at any entertainment stand you see at bestbuy, walmart or most places 90% of them make almost no sense what so ever. Alot of furniture is the same way. They never have proper venting in the back for hot electronics which is what these are suppose to be filled with, even when they have glass so they expect you to shut the door when using them. They also probably make this for the average person and the average person does not even have good speakers if any at all.

My mom bought a desk that was build for computer use and it was very expensive. All nice stuff, solid wood and everything. It had a "special" place just for the computer and it even had built in plugs in which you could individually turn off each socket. Seemed like they put alot of thought into that right? No venting at all, I told her to kick the back of it out these guys are idiots. On top of that with the plug system it was not tall enough for your average mid tower atx case. I ended up taking it apart and putting it back together a diffferent way to get it all working. The funniest thing was the computer cabinet part was pretty big so obvously they were not intending it only for dell mini desktops.

So IMO even going for solid expensive wood won't solve your problems. You just have to find one of those rare companies that knows what they are doing or hope for a freak accident that ended up with a good product.

While I am ranting alot of people hate the size of these DLPs, but really what does it matter? If you put anything under it you are going to need at least 18 inches out from the wall. consoles cable boxes, recievers. All of it is still designed to sit down flat when teally they should be redesigning all this stuff around new thinner cabinets because now that no one has CRTs no one needs a thick cabinet.
 
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I don't have a DLP but we use an Ikea bookshelf tipped on its side for our 42" HDTV. Works great, has a bunch of varying-sized compartments that fit consoles and AV equipment nicely. Open in the back, too, so there is proper ventilation.

Can't remember the model name but it's all black.
 
rudy said:
It probably has more to do with them not having a freaking clue because they make furniture and have no clue about electronics. If you look at any entertainment stand you see at bestbuy, walmart or most places 90% of them make almost no sense what so ever. Alot of furniture is the same way. They never have proper venting in the back for hot electronics which is what these are suppose to be filled with, even when they have glass so they expect you to shut the door when using them. They also probably make this for the average person and the average person does not even have good speakers if any at all.

My mom bought a desk that was build for computer use and it was very expensive. All nice stuff, solid wood and everything. It had a "special" place just for the computer and it even had built in plugs in which you could individually turn off each socket. Seemed like they put alot of thought into that right? No venting at all, I told her to kick the back of it out these guys are idiots. On top of that with the plug system it was not tall enough for your average mid tower atx case. I ended up taking it apart and putting it back together a diffferent way to get it all working. The funniest thing was the computer cabinet part was pretty big so obvously they were not intending it only for dell mini desktops.

So IMO even going for solid expensive wood won't solve your problems. You just have to find one of those rare companies that knows what they are doing or hope for a freak accident that ended up with a good product.

While I am ranting alot of people hate the size of these DLPs, but really what does it matter? If you put anything under it you are going to need at least 18 inches out from the wall. consoles cable boxes, recievers. All of it is still designed to sit down flat when teally they should be redesigning all this stuff around new thinner cabinets because now that no one has CRTs no one needs a thick cabinet.
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My furniture is rack depth because of the gear that's in it... seems like most people have components anyhow... and they need to go somewhere.
 
Hmm.. I have not had a tv in a while. I am trying to replace my 3d projector (3d vision, nvidia). It seems the 73 inch one will work with my system.

I don't really watch tv but it would be cool for gaming. Maybe there is some reason dlp's need stands (overheating?) but could I just leave it on the floor while I decide on a stand?
 
Eocene said:
Hmm.. I have not had a tv in a while. I am trying to replace my 3d projector (3d vision, nvidia). It seems the 73 inch one will work with my system.

I don't really watch tv but it would be cool for gaming. Maybe there is some reason dlp's need stands (overheating?) but could I just leave it on the floor while I decide on a stand?
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there's no problem with having it on the floor.
 
Eocene said:
Hmm.. I have not had a tv in a while. I am trying to replace my 3d projector (3d vision, nvidia). It seems the 73 inch one will work with my system.

I don't really watch tv but it would be cool for gaming. Maybe there is some reason dlp's need stands (overheating?) but could I just leave it on the floor while I decide on a stand?
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I've had a couple DLPs and they don't necessarily play well with PCs. Maybe DP or HDMI has fixed it, but mine always either scrunched things to make text kind of hard to read while leaving a 2" black border, or it zoomed in too far so the 2" edges of the image weren't visible. Once in a game, it's actually quite pleasant but for Windows and/or anything with reading involved, they were disappointing.

Also, at you stand-needers, I don't know on this one but my 65" DLP was only 70 pounds. You won't need a behemoth of a stand even though the cabinet looks quite large. They're basically empty inside.
 
kevineugenius said:
I've had a couple DLPs and they don't necessarily play well with PCs. Maybe DP or HDMI has fixed it, but mine always either scrunched things to make text kind of hard to read while leaving a 2" black border, or it zoomed in too far so the 2" edges of the image weren't visible. Once in a game, it's actually quite pleasant but for Windows and/or anything with reading involved, they were disappointing.

Also, at you stand-needers, I don't know on this one but my 65" DLP was only 70 pounds. You won't need a behemoth of a stand even though the cabinet looks quite large. They're basically empty inside.
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Just about all TV sets have overscan built in. The vast majority of TVs make shitty PC monitors.
 
I got an 09 model of this at Costco bundled with the Mitsubishi stand a couple years back. The Mitsubishi stand is actually quite functional. It has a glass shelf that you can put at different heights and is almost completely open providing plenty of venting. I'm sure it's not the cheapest stand you can get, but I have all my stuff spread across the 2 shelves. Receiver, center speaker, PS3, "obsolete" HD-DVD player, Wii with room leftover on the top shelf.
 
Did anyone who ordered one of these get their's yet?

I had to delay the delivery of mine until Friday, which the freight company did at no cost.

As far as stands go, the actual base of the tv isn't as wide as the screen. People who are upgrading from smaller tvs may just be able to use their old stands.

I'll be using the old stand from my 56". The screen will overhang the ege of the stand but it shouldn't cause a problem unless you or your children get out of control in the living room.
 
matrix563 said:
are you sure about that?

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/home_electronics/mitsubishi.html

makes me want to sell my 65 inch c9 mitsubishi. i like the picture but it would suck if it started developing those problems
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From reading those complaints is looks like people blame a lot of problems on the bulb which are clearly not.

The dots are a great example... nothing to do with the bulb.
If you have dots spotting your display you have a problem with your DMD. Replacing the bulb will not help this.

If you have bulbs failing repeatedly you probably have a bad power supply or a bad ballast.

The nice thing about DLP sets is that, if the rest of the hardware is working properly then replacing the bulb is a nice way to get a new bright picture. Compare to LCD and Plasmas where when the light source dims, you are stuck.

Furthermore, to a user who is remotely competent with electronics, DLP TVs are very simple to repair.
 
Technically I see no reason why you cannot replace the CFL in an LCD. Typically people do not do it but it is possible, in fact I am sure there are various people that take burned out ones and do just this to refurbish them.

I think the bigger issue which applies to DLPs too, is that in recent times the technology moves quick enough that no one wants to bother replacing bulbs or fixing older units. Just sell it to some handyman who will do that and buy a new one with all the updates in resolution, connectivity, and picture quality.
 
matrix563 said:
are you sure about that?

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/home_electronics/mitsubishi.html

makes me want to sell my 65 inch c9 mitsubishi. i like the picture but it would suck if it started developing those problems
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I'm fairly certain I have a 6 year old Samsung DLP and have never changed the bulb. There are a going to be exceptions to the rule of the bulb's life, hence why it is called "average life expectancy". Some people will get 3 years, some may get 10 years before the bulb goes. Same with any other light bulb in your house. I agree with the other poster that the problems don't sound like bulb problems.
 
rudy said:
Technically I see no reason why you cannot replace the CFL in an LCD. Typically people do not do it but it is possible, in fact I am sure there are various people that take burned out ones and do just this to refurbish them.

I think the bigger issue which applies to DLPs too, is that in recent times the technology moves quick enough that no one wants to bother replacing bulbs or fixing older units. Just sell it to some handyman who will do that and buy a new one with all the updates in resolution, connectivity, and picture quality.
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In the vast majority of LCD TVs the CFL is sealed into the panel.
You can replace the panel. You can replace the board (I've done both). But it is far more expensive and difficult than replacing the bulb in the DLP Tv. It also depends on a lot on the TV. I can pick up a 42 inch basic LCD TV for the $500 range.... replacing the panel will likely cost me 80% of the value and take an hour.

Replacing the lamp in an 82" DLP takes 5 minutes and costs $150 or less.

That being said: Samsung was introducing LED sources for their DLP sets. There is no excuse for Mits not progressing with that.
 
weuntouchable said:
I'm fairly certain I have a 6 year old Samsung DLP and have never changed the bulb. There are a going to be exceptions to the rule of the bulb's life, hence why it is called "average life expectancy". Some people will get 3 years, some may get 10 years before the bulb goes. Same with any other light bulb in your house. I agree with the other poster that the problems don't sound like bulb problems.
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Anybody buying an expensive TV should, immediately upon buying it, go buy a capable UPS to condition the power. Power spikes and dips are really hard on high-voltage transformers which power the bulbs.
 
I read through most of those consumer complaints. The majority of them are concerning tvs that are 4 years old. I would hope by now Mitsubishi started using different DMD chips. Even if they didn't, swapping out a DMD, provided you can find the part, is no harder than swapping processors in a PC.

Also online complaints need to be taken with a grain of salt, as they can be misleading. Most happy consumers aren't going to take the time to post reviews online, so reading online reviews can't paint a bleaker picture than really exists.
 
x_MaGiuS_x said:
I read through most of those consumer complaints. The majority of them are concerning tvs that are 4 years old. I would hope by now Mitsubishi started using different DMD chips. Even if they didn't, swapping out a DMD, provided you can find the part, is no harder than swapping processors in a PC.

Also online complaints need to be taken with a grain of salt, as they can be misleading. Most happy consumers aren't going to take the time to post reviews online, so reading online reviews can't paint a bleaker picture than really exists.
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DMD chip failures are almost always caused by heat.
Mits is faced with the decision of:
A) add dust filters to the intake fans and risk users never cleaning them, effectively causing an overheat.
B) Add no dust filters and prevent a medium-term overheat but cause a long-term buildup of dust in the internal heat sinks, causing a long-term overheat.
 
Well, my set is scheduled for delivery sometime in the next 3 hours.

I fear the tv my be sitting in the front hall for a while. After looking at the clearance into the basement (its a walkout) I think I may have to go through the back door, unfortunately the backyard is covered in snow.

I wasn't even thinking about things like that while ordering.

Gotta love a TV so large it cause logistical problems!
 
After the fiasco that was getting it into the basement through a snow-covered, hilly lawn, my 73" is finally setup.

Initial impressions:
73" is bigger than it sounds
Blu- rays and Xbox 360 look great
The crap AT&T calls HD doesn't scale well to this size
DVDs look like sketchy bootlegs at this size
I'm going to be spending a ton on blu-rays
I think I need to move my furniture further away from the screen
Definitely worth the money I spent, so long as it lasts a while
 
I invited the family over for Avatar on Blu-ray.
The picture looks better than when I saw it in theatres.

When I asked everyone to guess how much it cost, 3-4 grand were the replies. My dad was shopping at Dell 15 minutes into the movie.

This set may not have the best reviews but I definitely got a winner.

Also, for those interested it makes a more than decent computer monitor. My htpc has never looked so good.
 
Grats. I owned a Mitsu real projection DLP 58" for a handful of years. Beautiful picture. Loved the TV.
 
So every 4yrs expect to buy a new bulb? How much are the bulbs? $400? Price the same regardless of size?

I don't pay for cable TV, I just get the free junk channels that come with my cable modem plan.

So I would look into getting a WD Live, Roku, etc. Then maybe a console, blu-ray.. hum.

Never seen a projector that I have liked. But that was a long time ago. 1k is above what I want to spend, but for the price it's killer. But that price might be artificial as the replacement bulbs might eat up most of the savings in the end.

LOL plus I have to take it up a flight of stairs that have one 90 degree elbow :/
 
x_MaGiuS_x said:
After the fiasco that was getting it into the basement through a snow-covered, hilly lawn, my 73" is finally setup.

Initial impressions:
73" is bigger than it sounds
Blu- rays and Xbox 360 look great
The crap AT&T calls HD doesn't scale well to this size
DVDs look like sketchy bootlegs at this size
I'm going to be spending a ton on blu-rays
I think I need to move my furniture further away from the screen
Definitely worth the money I spent, so long as it lasts a while
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Same impressions as myself when going to an 84" screen with a projector though I taped out the corners of where the screen would go (manual pulldown, I leave it extended full-time) to get a preview for positioning ;)... I own a LOT of blurays now including tv box sets, needless to say :p. I look forward to upgrading my screen size to 106" or more once I have enough room to (just would need to change screens since I'm on a projector, not the actual unit) :D. Substitute AT&T for "comcast". :p
 
BurntToast said:
So every 4yrs expect to buy a new bulb? How much are the bulbs? $400? Price the same regardless of size?

I don't pay for cable TV, I just get the free junk channels that come with my cable modem plan.

So I would look into getting a WD Live, Roku, etc. Then maybe a console, blu-ray.. hum.

Never seen a projector that I have liked. But that was a long time ago. 1k is above what I want to spend, but for the price it's killer. But that price might be artificial as the replacement bulbs might eat up most of the savings in the end.

LOL plus I have to take it up a flight of stairs that have one 90 degree elbow :/
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Modern projectors with high brightness on the bulbs are really a joy, even in non-light-controlled rooms (on higher settings) or semi-light-controlled (blinds or drapes) with medium settings. I only use blinds to "light-control" the room my projector is in and it looks fantastic... like having a giant 1080p, superior-quality TV on the wall.

You can get nice units like the Epson 8350 for around $1000-1050, grab a nice screen for $50-150 depending on size and material, and come out at the same price as this thread's kind of DLP rear-projection while having a larger size.

You can go cheaper if you don't need/want an LCD projector (those are easiest since they have lens shift + better zoom ratios) but go for a DLP front-projector instead... by hundreds of dollars. LCD projectors can be placed very flexibly (mine's on a small square open bookshelf behind the sofa, around 50" high, cost me $30 shipped on a deal and is quite nice), while DLP's require more precise placement and careful checking prior to purchase.

If I had the room I'd be on a 106" or 120" screen... alas, I must "suffer" (haha) for now on an 84" screen until I have the space. Bulbs run around $250 for my Epson HC PowerLite 8100 and have an average life of 4000 hours... plus they warranty the bulb for the first two years :D. As far as expected life, calculate out how many hours of usage you'd do per day on average (start with a weekly figure and then divide by 7 to be more precise... then divide 4000 by that # to get the days it would last). For me I will likely get around 4 years out of it assuming my bulb is good at 3500 hours or so (rather than the average of 4000). The number of hours looks low but it's really not (on these rear-projection units or actual projectors) when you think it through.
 
BurntToast said:
So every 4yrs expect to buy a new bulb? How much are the bulbs? $400? Price the same regardless of size?
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How long the bulbs last depends on how much you watch TV and the brightness you have it set to. They can last 8 yr, 4 yr, or they can just last 1. The lamp for the 73" model costs around $140 or so. Bigger sets usually require a more expensive bulb.

BurntToast said:
I don't pay for cable TV, I just get the free junk channels that come with my cable modem plan.
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Check here to see if your area has any free over the air HD channels, most do these days. If you can get them the picture is surprisingly good, often times better than the compressed crap that Cox or Time Warner calls HD.

BurntToast said:
Never seen a projector that I have liked. But that was a long time ago. 1k is above what I want to spend, but for the price it's killer. But that price might be artificial as the replacement bulbs might eat up most of the savings in the end.
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RPTV's are all about getting the biggest image size for the best buck, that being said today's DLP RPTV's produce a pretty decent image right out of the box. Unless you're a perfectionist you probably won't care too much about the difference between a good LED LCD (which costs quite a bit) and a DLP RPTV. Especially if most of what you watch is upscaled standard resolution stuff.

BurntToast said:
LOL plus I have to take it up a flight of stairs that have one 90 degree elbow :/
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I have the 73" Mitsubishi (from Dell) DLP. I took mine out of the box and had my bro help me get it up a similar set of stairs. Its not too hard with just 2 people, and I'm not strong at all, 40lbs is a lot for me and my crappy back. Go slow so you don't scratch the screen or walls and you'll be fine. If you're paranoid get a couple of large bath towels and tape them over the front before you start moving it. Or get those forearm forklift things. Those work surprisingly well too but it can be difficult to maneuver the TV in a tight space with them. We had to carry the TV on its side to get it through the 180 degree U landing on our split level stairs.
 
Zangmonkey said:
DMD chip failures are almost always caused by heat.
Mits is faced with the decision of:
A) add dust filters to the intake fans and risk users never cleaning them, effectively causing an overheat.
B) Add no dust filters and prevent a medium-term overheat but cause a long-term buildup of dust in the internal heat sinks, causing a long-term overheat.
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I've worked on old as hell Dell P4 systems, like these ones here, that have run for years and have almost no dust in them due to the way the heatsink and air flow path were designed. Dell used a large extruded aluminum HSF with wide fins and a low rpm fan with fan shrouds to cool them. Not at all expensive to do that. Might even work well as an option C of sorts.

I'll probably be vaccuming out my TV once a year or so just in case but so far it runs cool.
 
I got a 50 inch LED Vizio, all we watch is pretty much netflix and burned movies via apple TV. I wonder if this would look bad since most stuff on net flix is upscaled? I would definately start collecting more blu rays if i got this.
 
mesyn191 said:
I've worked on old as hell Dell P4 systems, like these ones here, that have run for years and have almost no dust in them due to the way the heatsink and air flow path were designed. Dell used a large extruded aluminum HSF with wide fins and a low rpm fan with fan shrouds to cool them. Not at all expensive to do that. Might even work well as an option C of sorts.

I'll probably be vaccuming out my TV once a year or so just in case but so far it runs cool.
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from my experience with Samsung units, the airflow path stays away from the optical channel very well. While there is dust in the TV cavity, it tends to stay out of the light tunnel areas.

However, this makes cooling the DMD difficult.
 
I have the 73" model, although last years (bought it around same price) and it's been great. It's just bright enough to watch in the day time while the blinds are open and more than bright enough with the blinds closed. At night it's even better.

I will say that I have had 1 person out of many who came over who could see the 'rainbow' effect, so I would look at it in person to make sure you can't see it before you buy one. I can't and my wife can't so it works great!
 
wholy shit i payed 1800 for a 50in 5 years ago. still have my sony sxrd. Needs a new bulb. Had issues with blurry text and vewing angles. Id never go back to DLP after getting a panny Plasma. For a tv thats 72 in u will need to sit back least 6-8 foot min. unless u like moving your head as u play.
 
turbolude said:
wholy shit i payed 1800 for a 50in 5 years ago. still have my sony sxrd. Needs a new bulb. Had issues with blurry text and vewing angles. Id never go back to DLP after getting a panny Plasma. For a tv thats 72 in u will need to sit back least 6-8 foot min. unless u like moving your head as u play.
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your blurry text was probably cause by the fact that the SXRD (and early DMD chips) don't have native resolutions even close to their input resolutions. Try scaling non-native on a plasma/LCD and you'll have the same problem.

My older DLP set is 1024x768 and my old SXRD is 1024x1024 (even though it's a widescreen TV).
 
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